About this Site

Emilie Davis was an African-American woman living in Philadelphia during the U.S. Civil War. This website is a transcription of Emilie’s three pocket diaries for the years 1863, 1864, and 1865. In them, she recounts black Philadelphians’ celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation, nervous excitement during the battle of Gettysburg, and their collective mourning of President Lincoln. The diary allows readers to experience the war in real time, as events unfolded for Civil War Americans. Read More...

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October 27-29, 1864

October, THURSDAY, 27, 1864

i do not care to go out i feel so lost i went to mr livelys this morning I am always glad when my lesson is done our thursdayes I stopped at hecs and aunt Janes

FRIDAY, 28.

and at bustils spent a Dull evening at home vincent came about 10 i came up here i have bin exceedingly busy this evening fixing up our Part of the house i expected

SATURDAY, 29.

kate ligtle up here but she did not come i did not get home as I usaly do i was to buisy and the streets were to rowdy the Democrats had the rowdy Prossion

Annotation 1

Democrats held torchlight rallies of their own in advance of the presidential election of 1864 in support of their candidates, former Union commanding general George McClellan—a Philadelphian by birth—and Ohio Congressman George Pendleton. An advertisement in the October 22, 1864 edition of The Daily Age called on Democrats to attend a procession that evening and to bring “banners and torches!” The “rowdy” Democratic rally Emilie described on October 29th was likely similar though apparently violent. The rally on the 29th resulted in the death of James Campbell after the procession was attacked. A reward offer for information leading to the murderer of Campbell ran in the November 19, 1864 edition of The Daily Age. “Victory!,” The Daily Age, October 22, 1864; “Reward Offered,” The Daily Age, November 19, 1864.